


Two is Company

by marshmallownose



Category: House of Anubis
Genre: Basically just HOA from House of Who onward but Eddie has a sis, Bisexual disaster twins, Eddie has a twin sister, Multi, OC created by the fandom, Rated T for swearing, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03, mutual pining (peddie), shE’s just vibiNg, unrequited crush (Joy/Kira and also Jabian lol)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28572354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmallownose/pseuds/marshmallownose
Summary: When Eddie and his sister Kira were invited by their estranged father to attend the esteemed Amun Academic Boarding School in the United Kingdom, they were unaware of exactly what they were getting into.
Relationships: Eddie Miller & Kira Miller (OC), Eddie Miller/Patricia Williamson, Joy Mercer/Fabian Rutter, Joy Mercer/Kira Miller (OC), K. T. Rush/Kira Miller (OC), Kira Miller & Mara Jaffray, Nina Martin/Fabian Rutter
Comments: 32
Kudos: 23





	1. Harry Potter is Overused

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably never get updated, but I wanted to write a little with this OC. I run polls every once in a while on my Instagram (@camelotslady) where people create an OC together and Kira was the most recent result:
> 
> \- Eddie’s twin sister  
> \- Bisexual  
> \- Has a crush on Joy, but ends up with KT in the end  
> \- Joins Sibuna same time as Eddie
> 
> She’s a cutie and I thought a few little chapters about them would be kinda fun. I know no one really reads OC stories so I’m considering this more writing practice than anything, but if you guys like it, I’ll do more.
> 
> Another chapter of House of Mistakes is coming soon, so be on the look out for that!

“Remember, I don’t want anyone to know who our dad is,” Eddie was saying for what felt like the millionth time since they’d been informed their mother was shipping them off to boarding school. It was one thing to connect with an estranged father over a state line, but entirely another thing to fly over an entire ocean to reconcile with a man who left them before they’d even gone to pre-school.

“I already agreed to that,” Kira replied, her patience wearing thin. The jet lag was absolutely killing her and judging by the look in her brother’s dull, exhausted eyes, he was on his last legs too. “The more you bring it up, the more I want to just bust in there and give a presentation on our family tree.”

“Please,” Eddie snorted, calling her bluff, “you’d just stand there like a dead fish.”

“Shut up, dick,” Kira mumbled, ignoring the way the cab driver chuckled. “Maybe we’d ought to pretend to not be related too while we’re at it.”

He perked up and nudged his twin excitedly. “That’s not a bad idea!” he exclaimed, and Kira fixed him with a disbelieving stare.

“Are you stupid or something? I was joking. You’re literally the boy version of me and we have the same last name.”

Eddie had the audacity to look offended. “Um, actually you’re the girl version of me,” he said. “Get it right.”

“While I’m older, so technically that means I was here first. Get it right.”

“Well, kids, right or wrong, we’re here,” the cab driver informed them, and the twins abandoned their semantics in favor of gawking out the window at the impressive towers of Amun Academy.

“It looks like Hogwarts,” Eddie said flatly, and Kira rolled her eyes.

“Not even close,” she said. “Eddie, I’m begging you not to make a bunch of Harry Potter references; I’m willing to bet they don’t think that shit is amusing, and you’re going to look like a total loser which will make _me_ look like a total loser.”

“You don’t need my help making you look like a loser. The fact that you’re double-fisting two German novels is enough to do that.”

“They’re not  German,” she informed him sharply, getting out of the cab and passing the driver his fare. “They’re  _Russian_. You literally read them for school last year in Mrs. McCarthy’s class.”

Eddie opened the trunk of the cab and lifted out both his and Kira’s luggage. “Hilarious that you think I read.”

She took her suitcase from him and started up the steps toward the school. “Oh, that’s right, I forgot you didn’t know how,” she called over her shoulder sweetly.

* * *

After a brief and undeniably tense meeting with their father and headmaster, the twins made their way to what the little sign outside called the student lounge. It seemed as comfortable a place as any to rest while their rooms got prepared at Anubis House. The jet lag really was brutal—Kira had been up far longer than her brother had, but they’d both been up for nearly a day in total, including the twelve hours of travel.

She was just drifting off when Eddie jolted awake, startling Kira in the process.

Some people were having an argument, and it took her a groggy minute to realize one of the people in question was Eddie.

Kira wondered if she should just pretend to be asleep and maybe avoid this humiliation, but the girl Eddie found himself in a verbal spar with had decided to pounce on her next.

“You and your little girlfriend can go sleep somewhere else. A lounge is for lounging, not sleeping.”

Kira shot up so fast, her head spun. “Ew! Oh my god, he’s not my boyfriend he’s my brother!” she exclaimed before her brain caught up to her.

Now that she was up, she could properly take in the scene. Two girls were standing over them, one with dyed hair and sharp light eyes, and the other shorter with a dark complexion who looked like she couldn’t decide if she was amused or embarrassed.

The shorter girl caught her eye and winced apologetically; Kira caught her breath—that girl was, like, really pretty.

Eddie, having clearly decided to hurtle past the disgusting insinuation, snorted. “Look, we were on a plane for eight hours, and then in a train for four more. Now, we’re in Borseville, UK, and we don’t need a lecture, ‘kay Hermione?”

The two girls gasped, and Kira wanted to strangle him. Instead, she buried her face in her hands as the angry girl started in on him.

“Great, that’s all we need another patronizing American whose only reference to the UK is  Harry Potter.”  Kira was grateful to have been left out of that distinction. “Who are you anyway?”

“Who’re you?” Eddie fired back, and judging by the tone in his voice, Kira could tell he was having fun riling this girl up which only meant trouble.

“I asked first,” the angry girl retorted.

Eddie scoffed.  “Really?”

The shorter girl and Kira locked eyes again and there was a sparkle of amusement reflected there. She was struck once again by how pretty this chick was.

“Next time you trip someone up, remember it’s considered polite to apologize in this country.” Jesus, were they  still not done?

“Do you ever stop talking?” Eddie asked, and if Kira wasn’t so exhausted, she’d be mortified by how rude her brother was being. “I should call you Blabs. Or Yacker.” Kira saw the exact moment Yacker’s fate was sealed as she wrinkled her nose in obvious disgust that Eddie immediately picked up on. That was how Kira had been labeled _“Chicken Nugget”_ for about seven years. “Ah, _Yacker_.”

“And maybe I should call  you a cab back to the airport.”

_Ooo_ that was a good comeback. Kira and Yacker’s cute friend shared a small nod of appreciation as though they were some sort of critics.

Eddie laughed in what Kira knew was his  I’m being purposefully obnoxious because I’ve run out of things to say laugh and clapped his hands slowly. “ _Ooo_ ,” he cooed. “Devastating.”

“Well, as much as I’d love to stand here trading stereotypes, I think I’m gonna go hang somewhere else,” said Yacker and she jerked her head to the other girl. “Come on, Joy.”

So  Joy, that was her name... Kira watched them go with interest, even managing to catch Joy saying “They’re kind of cute, aren’t they?”

“Psh, he likes to think he is.”

Eddie just grumbled and settled back down, but Kira didn’t miss how his eyes followed Yacker as she left the room.

“Way to go, Romeo,” Kira quipped, shutting her eyes and using her twin’s indignant spluttering as a lullaby that sent her down into a jet-lagged slumber. 


	2. Eddie Krueger, Resident Dickhead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, I know I have other fics that are more interesting that need to be updated and I swear I’m almost done with the next chapter of HOH, but I really love writing sibling dynamics and have been meaning to rewatch some of S2 anyway so this got away from me.  
> I’ve never really enjoyed reading OC fics, but Lily’s fic “Denouement” on wattpad (https://www.wattpad.com/story/154467417-━-denouement-jerome-clarke) is so good and has really inspired me.  
> I don’t blame you if you don’t read it, but it’s fun all the same

“Don’t be a dick, Eddie,” Kira warned him as they made their way up the stairs of the boarding house they’d been assigned to.

Eric had seemed reluctant to put them there seeing as Anubis House apparently only had room for one more male student. Their father had offered to put Kira in Mut House where there was space for a female resident, but Eddie had practically bared his teeth at him when he suggested it.

To tell the truth, Kira was touched that her twin wanted her in the house with him. It was certainly a far cry from the attitude he’d had in the cab, and the more cynical part of her guessed that part of his insistence was just to spite Eric.

Either way, their father had relented and they were both stuck in the house of Anubis.

Eddie rolled his eyes and scoffed at her, which pissed Kira off. “I’m serious,” she said. “You already embarrassed yourself _and_ me. I know you don’t want to be here, but the fact is we  _are_ here, so stop being a brat.”

He stopped with his hand on the door handle and sighed. “Okay, okay,” he said after a moment. “You’re right, I guess. The next new person I meet, I’ll try to be nice to, okay, Chicken Nugget?”

“That’s all I’m asking,” she said, rolling her eyes at the nickname and patting him gently on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get in there. It’s cold out here.”

“It’s September,” Eddie reminded her, opening the door. “And you’re from New Jersey. You should be used to a little chill.”

“So? It can still be cold to me—“ Eddie had stopped short, leaving Kira to crash into his back. “Eddie, what the hell?” she grumbled, but followed his line of sight into what looked like the living room.  _“Oh, shit,”_ she whispered, and made a fruitless attempt to keep her brother from making an ass of himself.

“Well, if it isn’t the Yacker,” he said, sauntering up to the girl he’d been arguing with earlier like an idiot.

Her head jerked fast from her laptop and she looked a mix of startled and pissed off when she realized who she was talking to.  _“No,”_ she said. “Please tell me you’re not staying here.”

Kira very much hoped Yacker was only referring to Eddie; she really didn’t need enemies—her brother usually made enough for the both of them.

“Well, as a matter of principle I don’t like to stay anywhere too long,” Eddie replied, perching himself on the chair like a jackass while Kira hung back in the foyer, trying valiantly not to draw the other girl’s ire.

Thankfully, she was more focused on Eddie. “Oh, you _are_ , aren’t you?” she groaned. “Great, that’s all I need, another stupid boy in the house.”

Kira’s  _‘Eddie-is-about-to-be-a-dick-again’_ sense began to tingle, and before she could step in, he’d already opened his mouth.

“Could you slow your roll a little? It’s a bit  _hard to understand your accent,_ _”_ he said with a grating laugh, putting on one of the worst renditions of a British accent Kira had ever heard. “Cute, but kinda whiny.”

_“Whiny?”_ Yacker shot back, outraged. Finally she seemed to notice Kira standing in the doorway and her eyes narrowed. “And what the hell are  you looking at?”

“N-Nothing. I’m looking at nothing,” she managed, the intensity of her gaze having thrown her off-kilter.

“That’s Kira. Don’t mind her, she’s a little shy.” He smirked, and Kira wanted to strangle him right there in the living room “Anyway,” he continued and extended his hand, “the name’s Eddie.”

Yacker scoffed, pointedly not shaking it. “Eddie Krueger?” she retorted.

That was clearly a mistake, and even Kira who detested horror movies with a passion knew it.

Eddie laughed at her. “I think you mean Freddie.”

The girl’s patience was wearing thin. “What?” she snapped.

“ _Freddie_ Krueger.”

“Whatever,” she said, and Kira noticed her cheeks color slightly with embarrassment. “You’re still a nightmare.”

Actually, not a bad recovery.

“Well, as much as I’d love to stay here and _hang,”_ Eddie said, standing back up and swaggering over to his sister, “we have to report to someone named Vincent? Or Victor?”

“Victor,” Kira reminded him quietly, and Eddie nodded.

“Right,” he said, turning on his heel and starting away. “Well, smell ya later, Yacker.”

Kira turned around sharply, ready to kill him, but crashed into someone, nearly sending them both to the ground. “Holy shit! I’m so sor—“ Kira’s mouth went dry when she realized she’d nearly just bowled over the shorter girl from earlier, Joy.

“Oh, it’s no worries,” Joy reassured her, offering up a winning smile that made the corners of her warm, dark eyes crinkle up. “No harm done, yeah?”

“Y-Yeah,” Kira breathed.

Eddie snickered just loud enough to snap her out of whatever bisexual dilemma had ensnared her, and Kira cleared her throat, stepping backwards out of Joy’s space.

Joy gave her a funny look, but her expression was friendly enough, which made Kira all the more flustered.

“Say, tell me,” Eddie said, and she looked over at him expectantly, “is your friend always so...?”

Joy looked over Kira’s shoulder to where Yacker was glowering at her computer and laughed. “Yep!” she said and walked around the twins to get to the couch.

“Awesome,” Eddie sighed, grabbing his sister’s arm and practically hauling her away. “Come on,  _Juliet.”_

“Are they staying at Anubis House?” Joy asked, a curious smile spreading across her face.

“I _really_ hope not,” came the reply.

“And once again you go breaking your promise to not be a dick,” Kira muttered as they made their way up the stairs to what looked like an office.

“No I didn’t,” Eddie replied. “I said ‘the next new person I meet’ I’ll be polite to.” He smirked and tapped his head. “Those weren’t new people.”

“Is it to late to ask Dad to switch me into Mut House?” she groaned.

Eddie tensed up when she said  _ “Dad” _ but didn’t comment. “Whatever,” he mumbled. “Let’s just find this Vincent dude so we can actually unpack.”

_“Victor,_ dickhead.”


	3. Breakfast is the Most Awkward Meal of the Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, shawtyyy!  
> Back again after just a single DAY! Can you tell I'm just going scene by scene as it pops up in the episode. this was originally just gonna be one-shots in order, but it's sort of becoming its own little story, but the actual fun stuff that I have planned for this and other character(s) doesn't happen until way later so big oof for me.

It was pure luck, really, that Kira wasn’t rooming with Joy or Yacker. Hopefully whoever her two roommates were didn’t run into either of the other girls before Kira did; the last thing she needed was the people she was supposed to share a space with thinking she was a weirdo foreigner before she’d even said a word to them.

Kira put her suitcase on the empty twin bed shoved up against one of the walls. She felt bad to be taking up all that space, especially since there’d been that opening at Mut. Depending on how her first night went, Kira figured she might quietly talk to her father about moving into the other house after all.

Despite the size, it was a pretty room, well-decorated and clearly lived in. Hung up on the wall beside one of the beds was a plethora of American decorations, which piqued her interest. It was possible, of course, it was just some British girl who loved America just like some people back in the US fawned over the British. She'd ask once her roommates made an appearance.

However, it wasn’t until she was just getting back from that awkward dinner reunion with her father at around 10:30 that two girls slipped into the room, whispering fervently to one another.

When it was clear they were too wrapped up in their own conversation to take any notice of her, Kira cleared her throat, and they both jumped.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “didn’t mean to scare you.” The two girls, one blonde and the other light brunette, stared at her with...was that _panic?_ “I’m Kira, um, just moved in.”

“Victor didn’t say we were getting a new roommate,” the blonde one said, narrowing her eyes.

“It was all a very spur of the moment decision,” Kira replied. “My da—my _relatives_ live nearby and wanted me and my brother enrolled here.”

“You’re American,” the brunette said in a distinct American accent.

“I am,” Kira confirmed, trying for a smile which the girl tentatively returned. “And so are you. I saw your USA decorations, but I didn’t want to assume.”

“Ha, yeah! Er, whereabouts?”

“New Jersey, but if you ask Eddie, he’ll say we’re New Yorkers,” she replied with a chuckle. She was already agreeing to keep their father a secret; she wasn't about to lie that she was from an entirely different state too. “What about you.”

“Oh, um, the Midwest. I’m Nina, by the way; this is Amber,” Nina said gesturing to her friend.

“Nice to meet you both,” Kira said, and Amber gave her a tight smile. “I’m sorry if I get in your way; I don’t take up much room, so just, um, carry on like I’m not here!”

“We will!” chirped Amber, and Nina shot her a dirty look. “What? Well, I don’t know about you ladies, but I am _soooo_ tired. Neens, come to the bathroom with me to wash up!”

Before Nina could say another word, she was being dragged out of the room, and Kira could just make out a snippet of their renewed whispering as they disappeared down the hall:

_“The cube...Sibuna...can’t meet there now!”_

She sighed and crawled onto her bed, grabbing her book from the nightstand. They were definitely talking about her, as most girls do, even if their conversation didn’t make much sense. She was definitely cramping their style, but it could have gone worse, she supposed. And at least there was another American in the house besides her dickhead brother.

* * *

The next morning was awkward. Nina and Amber had already gotten up and headed downstairs for breakfast when Kira’s alarm went off. Once she’d managed to pull herself together and get into her uniform, it was already 7:45, which wasn’t bad, but wasn’t good if she wanted to leave herself enough wiggle room for when she inevitably got lost.

She nearly crashed into Eddie as they both tried to walk into the dining area at the same time, and all the chatter from their new housemates sputtered into an awkward silence. Eddie strode in like he owned the place, leaving Kira to trail behind him. She pulled up a chair in between Amber and a tall boy with quite the head of hair and settled into it cautiously, like someone might wrench it out from beneath her.

There were a few curious eyes on her, but most of the attention was on her ham of a brother. Well, correction, most of the _female_ attention, which didn’t make her jealous at all. Kira could admit Eddie was a handsome teenage boy, but that also meant she wasn’t half-bad herself. Surely she could draw the eye of one pretty girl or boy at the table. Kira peeked down the table at Joy, but she was busy looking between Eddie and the brunet boy beside him.

Whatever, it was fine. Nothing she wasn’t used to.

Nina stood up, pitcher of orange juice in hand and smiled charmingly at Eddie. “Want some OJ?” she offered.

“Finally!” Eddie said, and she could just tell he was going to be obnoxious. “Someone that speaks English. You’re uh,” he cocked his head to the side and winked, “the best thing I’ve heard since I’ve gotten here.” He was turning on his smolder and Kira wanted to gag; judging by Yacker’s face—and really, she was going to have to get that girl’s real name soon—she wasn’t impressed either.

Neither was the brunet boy who, upon hearing Eddie’s sorry excuse for a pick-up line, choked on his toast. Once he was done coughing, he looked between the twins uncertainly. “When _did_ you get here?” he asked. “I got a shock this morning when I woke up and saw you in Mick’s bed.”

Yacker snorted from the other end of the table. “I can imagine,” she said, and Joy gave her a small tap paired with a cute expression that clearly meant _‘Behave yourself’_.

Kira decided to answer before Eddie put his foot in his mouth again. “We got in yesterday,” she said, offering the brunet a congenial smile. “The jet-lag was severe, but we managed to get a quick nap in.”

“Yeah,” said Eddie, “and that’s when we had the pleasure of meeting Yacker here.”

  
  
The two exchanged nasty smiles, and Kira wanted to slam her head against the table. He really always had to go antagonizing people, didn’t he?

Oh, but he wasn’t done yet; he turned to the rest of the table, letting his eyes sweep the girls up and down in the most sultry way possible. Kira gave him a warning look, but he ignored her entirely. “Speaking of,” he drawled, “who do we have here?” Predictably, the girls sans Yacker rattled off their names in a flurry of flustered giggles. “I’m Eddie,” he continued in that tone of voice he’d perfected over the years that made girls swoon. She’d heard him practicing it once or twice in bathroom mirror. “No one ever told me English girls are so,” he paused, and the girls leaned in almost involuntarily, _“cute.”_

This set the girls off again into their tittering, while the boys, no doubt some of them in relationships with said girls, sputtered out protests.

Yacker scoffed and slumped down in her chair like she couldn’t believe her eyes, and Kira couldn’t blame her—it really was a sickening sight.

It was Nina who spoke next. “So what made you both change schools? I didn’t get much of chance to talk to you last night, Kira.” Nina was addressing her, but looking at Eddie. She rolled her eyes subtly and was about to answer, when Eddie beat her to it.

“Well, let’s see…got into some fights, and then flunked some of my classes. Oh, and then the principal hated me because I said his daughter was cute, but she _totally was.”_

“That might be the reason Eddie left school in New Jersey—“

“New York.”

_“New Jersey_ ,” she emphasized, and Eddie grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, “but the reason _I_ left was because I wanted to reconnect with our… _relatives_ over here. Our mom just forced my kid brother to come along.”

“We’re the same age,” Eddie countered, and Kira shrugged.

“Yeah, but I was first.”

“And I’m better looking.”

Yacker suddenly stood up, evidently not amused. “Couldn’t you have done us all a favor and gone to _another_ school in the States?” she snarked, as she breezed out the door, and though she was clearly referring to Eddie, Kira still felt uncomfortable.

“Patricia!” Joy ground out, embarrassed at her friend’s outburst, and at last Yacker had a real name.

“Sure knows how to make a guy feel welcome,” Eddie joked, trying to lighten the mood. The rest of the room shifted awkwardly at that, and it seemed like that was the note they were ending breakfast on as Nina and Amber exchanged a quick glance and gathered their things to go, which started the rest of the residents on their cleanup.

She was about to gather up the nerve to talk to Joy when Mara pulled alongside her. “Sorry about Patricia,” Mara said. “I think it’s something about the American accent that just makes her see red. She’s cool once you get to know her.”

Joy was saying something to the brunet boy from earlier, and Kira shuffled self-consciously but smiled nonetheless. “I’m sure. Besides, I don’t think it’s me you have to worry about. I really should be apologizing for my brother. He can be a bit of a dick sometimes.”

“Oh, he was perfectly charming,” Mara said, brushing it off, and Kira sighed. “We can walk over together if you like. Nina, Amber, and Fabian usually are off in their own little world.”

  
  
“Um, sure! That would be awesome, actually. Thanks, Mara,” she said. Mara squeezed her arm in a friendly gesture and scooped up her book bag.

As they began to migrate out into the foyer, Victor was coming down the stairs. “Ah, Mr. and Miss Miller,” he said pleasantly, and Mara waited by the door as Kira and Eddie stood under the caretaker’s scrutiny, “I trust you both slept well?”

Kira nodded politely, but Eddie, like a jackass, replied through a mouthful of food: “Like a log, and my friends call me Eddie.”

Victor suddenly wasn’t so pleasant. “Don’t speak to me with your mouth full, show some respect!” he ordered in a sharp tone that made Kira flinch.

Eddie just scoffed, continuing to chew. “You can stick with Eddison,” he said smugly. Kira pinched him discreetly and he shot her a dirty look.

Victor didn’t look amused. “You were out until after ten o’clock last night,” he said evenly, “please explain.”

“Well, Victor, if you _must_ know, we were out with our,” Eddie faltered, and Kira finally noticed the audience they’d amassed by the front door, “ _relatives_. Didn’t think we needed permission.”

Victor looked over his shoulder at the gaggle of Anubis House residents watching them intently, before fixing the twins with an icy stare. “Well, you do,” he said. “In the future, please get it. You will find your stay here is a lot more pleasant if you observe a few basic rules.”

“Of course, Victor,” Kira said immediately and Victor nodded at her in acknowledgment.

“Thank you, Miss Miller. Do make sure you remind Mr. Miller to keep in line,” he said before he turned to take his leave. “Run along, nothing to see here,” Victor continued, shooing the residents away.

“Bootlicker,” Eddie muttered under his breath.

“Dickhead,” parried Kira before she stalked away from him, furious that Eddie seemed determined to make an enemy out of every single person they came across. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mara,” she said, not looking back. “Let’s go.”


	4. Don Quixote & A Night Terror

Mara was gracious enough to give Kira a tour of the school, and eventually, they found themselves in the student lounge. Now that she wasn’t disoriented and exhausted, Kira could appreciate that it was a nice area for conversation in between classes or during a free period. She also noticed Joy and Patricia chatting together on the far side of the room, and Kira’s eyes were immediately drawn.

_Jesus, can you stop being a creep for once? Maybe once you stop being a disaster, you might actually have a chance with her...if she even likes women,_ she berated herself, forcing her ears to tune back into her tour guide’s explanations.

“We also use it for our drama modules and dances,” Mara was explaining, and Kira cocked her head.

“You don’t have an auditorium?” Kira asked. “I figured a school like this would have one.”

Mara shrugged noncommittally. “Not really,” she said. “We have a gym, though. That’s where bigger events happen, like inter-house tournaments.”

Kira was about to ask what an inter-house tournament was when the tall boy with the hair from breakfast slid past them with a clipboard.

“Okay, is everyone signed up for a Donkey Day challenge…Patricia?” he said, coming to a halt beside her. “I don’t see your name down. Come on, think of those poor, disadvantaged donkeys.”

Mara and Kira shared a look. “Is donating to donkey sanctuaries a normal thing you guys do?” she asked. She’d done a bunch of coat drives and volunteered in a few soup kitchens back in New Jersey, but this seemed like something else altogether.

“No,” Mara said, her eyes narrowing at him suspiciously. “This isn’t normal…”

“Go on,” Joy encouraged Patricia, but it was clear she was trying hard not to laugh.

Upon her insistence, Patricia relented with a huff. “Okay, sign me up for the Wonky Donkey.”

The boy beamed and offered up the bucket. “That’ll be a fiver entrance fee please.”

“Uh, what’s the Wonky Donkey?” Joy asked, brow furrowing.

On cue, there was a commotion in the hallway, and in shuffled Amber and another boy from breakfast with their ankles tied together. They looked miserable.

“Uh, that is,” Patricia laughed, pointing at them.

“Ugh, Alfie!” Amber exclaimed, wrenching her foot forward. “Baby steps!”

“Hey, you two,” Patrica called. “Donkey Day isn’t until tomorrow?”

Alfie grinned, but Kira thought it looked more like he was gritting his teeth. “Just showing everybody how it’s done,” he explained, plopping down onto a sofa, which nearly sent Amber tumbling.

Kira turned to say something to Mara but found she was already approaching the tall boy. “Um, since when did you become so interested in the welfare of _donkeys_ , Jerome?” she asked.

“Ever since summer break when I was eight,” Jerome replied. “I saw a donkey on a beach being ridden by a sumo wrestler.” Patricia and Joy burst out laughing, and Kira had to cover her mouth to hide a snort. “I can’t get it out of my head; I promised myself that one day, I would save his people.” With that, Jerome migrated to another part of the room, leaving the four girls looking after him.

“Something doesn’t smell right,” Mara said, and Kira shrugged.

Joy looked over at Alfie and Amber still bickering on the couch and wrinkled her nose. “Alfie’s socks?”

Mara shook her head and laughed, and the two girls made their way over to Kira.

In a panic at seeing Joy headed her way, Kira attempted to act natural, leaning up against the wall and popping a hip awkwardly. Yeah, that would look cool.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asked from directly behind her, and Kira yelped, nearly thwacking him in the face. “Whoa! Calm down!”

  
  
 _“Jesus,_ Eddie,” she exclaimed. “Dick.”

“Jeez, I was just coming over to say hi,” he said, crossing his arms nonchalantly, but she could see in his body language that he was feeling guilty about earlier.

Kira sighed. “Whatever,” she mumbled by way of apology, and Eddie visibly relaxed. “Just stop sneaking around, will you?”

“You two remind me of another pair of twins I know,” Joy said with a small laugh as she drew up beside them, and Kira jumped again.

“Oh, yeah?” Eddie said, flashing a quick, knowing smirk in Kira’s direction. “There’s another pair of dashingly handsome siblings at this school? Who might they be?”

  
Panic flashed across her expression for only a moment and her eyes flicked over her shoulder; suddenly it was gone. “Oh, um, no one you’d know,” she chuckled casually.

Eddie raised an eyebrow and went to say something only to be interrupted by Jerome.

“Hey, new kids. Can I put your names down for a Donkey Day Challenge?” he asked with a coaxing half-smile, tapping his clipboard with a pen.

Kira peaked down at the list of activities and shrugged half-heartedly. “Um…alright? I guess it’s for a good cause,” she said, fishing around in her backpack for a fiver. “I guess you can put me down for the…what’s the ‘ _Donkeyuixote’?”_

Jerome clutched the clipboard to his chest and sighed dreamily. “It’s a dork’s dream, I’m sure,” he said. “You get the title of a book and have thirty second to guess if there’s any mention of a donkey in it.”

Kira blinked. “You do realize Don Quixote isn’t a donkey, right?”

“Is there even a donkey in the book?” Joy asked.

Kira and Mara nodded simultaneously. “Yes, but—”

“Are you going to sign up or not?” Jerome interrupted, flashing Kira a tight smile.

She put her hands up in an _‘I surrender’_ motion. “Okay, yeah, sure.”

Jerome smiled and clapped her on the shoulder as she dropped the money in the bucket. “Thatta girl.”

Eddie cocked his eyebrow and leaned against the wall. “Hey, what about you?” he said, and Jerome’s face fell. “I see you hassling everybody else, but not doing a lot yourself.”

“He has got a point, Jerome,” Alfie piped up from the couch.

“Who’s side are you on?” Jerome asked through gritted teeth, and Alfie just shrugged.

“I’ll agree to do a Donkey Day challenge if you do,” Eddie continued, and Kira could see the wheels turning in his brain.

Poor Jerome didn’t know what was going to hit him. “Uh, okay?” he said, and Kira winced. Rookie mistake.

“Excellent,” Eddie said. “I get to pick the challenge.”

Jerome’s lip curled in apprehension. “H-Hang on—“ he started, but Eddie cut him off.

“Eh, eh, eh,” he said, thinking for a moment. _“Donkey Diner_. If you can eat three _gallons_ of creamed carrot”—everyone within earshot cringed in disgust—“I will personally sponsor you one hundred dollars.”

The disgust on Jerome’s face morphed into shock like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “O-One hundred dollars?” he choked out.

“Make it hundred-fifty then.” Eddie smirked and stuck out his hand. “Deal?”

Jerome made a sort of gasping noise that nearly had Kira checking him for a stroke, before taking Eddie’s hand and shaking it firmly. “Done,” he agreed.

Eddie scrunched his face up in a fake smile, clapped him on the arm, and walked away toward the stage.

Amber and Mara raised an eyebrow after him while Alfie laughed. “Who is this guy?” He asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

Kira shook her head. “A dick,” she replied, which earned her a giggle from Joy that made her blush.

Patricia looked up from her phone and jerked her chin in their direction. “Hey, Jerome? I still don’t have a partner for the Wonky Donkey yet,” she reminded him.

Jerome looked at her, then at his clipboard, then at Eddie, before landing back on Patricia. “Yes, you have,” he said in a sing-song voice. “It’s Eddie!”

Eddie, who’d gone onto his phone, looked up sharply. _“Me?”_ he exclaimed at the same time Patricia snarled,

_“Him?”_

“Oh, you’ll bond,” Jerome cooed, while the rest of the room tried to hide their amusement at the outrage on their faces. “See? Donkey Day is already bringing people together.”

While Patricia and Eddie glared at each other, Jerome’s phone chimed, and Kira watched the amusement drain from his face as he read the text.

“Are you alright?” she asked, and Jerome jerked in surprise.

“What? Oh, um, yeah. I just gotta…” With that, he breezed away; Mara frowned and followed after him.

“Is that normal behavior?” Kira asked Alfie.

He shrugged. “Jerome? Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

Kira sucked on her lips and nodded. “Cool,” she replied.

Joy suddenly linked her arm through Kira’s and tugged her over to the water jug, pointing over at Patricia and Eddie who had somehow gotten into another argument. “I think your brother is the first one to keep Patricia on her toes like this,” she whispered to her, a twinkle in her eye. “It’s incredible.”

Kira, who was far more preoccupied with the fact that a pretty girl was linking arms with her, merely squeaked.

“Well, isn’t it?” Joy prompted, dropping her arm, and Kira was able to compose herself.

“I mean, they’re just bickering?” she pointed out.

Joy nodded. “I know! The thing is, _no one_ bickers with Patricia, because they always lose.” She grinned and waggled an eyebrow. “This could be very interesting.”

Kira looked between her brother and Patricia, searching for any indicator that it could get “interesting”, as Joy had suggested. “Yeah,” she replied, not wanting to disagree with her. “Maybe.”

Either way, it was nice to see a girl that wasn’t fawning over Eddie like he was Adonis or something. Patricia would be a good blow to his ego, which had inflated monstrously in the past few years. At least in that respect, it was interesting.

“Anyway,” Joy said, “what class do you have first?”

“Oh! Um, French with Mrs. Andrews,” she replied, reading off her schedule.

Joy beamed and grabbed her arm again. “Me too! Actually, pretty much all of Anubis House. We can walk together. I need some advice anyway.”

  
  
“Y-Yeah,” Kira breathed, letting Joy steer her out of the student lounge. “Sure. That would be nice.”

“Awesome!” Joy exclaimed. “So, you’ve met Fabian…”

Oh. _Great_.

* * *

Kira woke sometime in the middle of the night to piercing screams, and she jolted upright, with her fists clenched. _“Wha—?_ What’s happening?” she yelped, watching Nina’s silhouette race across the darkened room to Amber’s side.

“What’s wrong?” Nina shouted over Amber’s shrieking. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Kira stretched as far as she could and flicked on a lamp, as Amber sat up, eyes wide and breathing heavily. “I saw the spirit lady!” she was babbling in terror. “She came after me; she offered me her hand!”

Nina cut a swift look in Kira’s direction before looking back at Amber. “You didn’t take it did you?” she asked, running a soothing hand down her friend’s arm.

Kira wasn’t sure if she should get up too, and instead sat awkwardly in her bed.

“No,” Amber said. “No. Tell me it was just a dream.”

Nina nodded vigorously. “It was just a dream. Yeah, just a dream.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but Kira could tell whatever it was wasn’t meant for her ears.

Taking the hint, she threw back the covers and slid on a pair of comfy shoes. “Want me to grab a glass of water?” she asked.

Amber nodded jerkily and Nina smiled gratefully. “I think that’d be great,” she said. “Thank you, Kira.”

  
  
“No problem,” she replied, slipping out into the hallway.

Sneaking past Victor wasn’t much of a problem seeing that he’d nodded off at his desk, and she stood in the kitchen for a few extra moments after she’d filled up a cup to give her roommates ample time to talk.

It didn’t really bother her that they’d wanted her out of the room; she knew from firsthand experience how personal things like nightmares could be. Still, she selfishly hoped waking up to screaming at three o’clock in the morning wasn’t going to be a common occurrence here. She’d finally gotten used to silence at night.

Once she’d made it back to her room, Nina still sitting on Amber’s bed, and Amber herself looked far calmer now. Kira handed her the glass of water and Amber smiled at her.

“Thanks,” she said, taking a long sip. “Sorry I woke you guys up.”

  
  
Kira shook her head and settled back into bed. “Don’t worry. My brother used to get crazy night terrors as a child about all sorts of crazy stuff like your ‘spirit lady’. Something to drink and someone to ground you is usually enough to chase away even the scariest of nightmares.”

“Eddie had night terrors?” Nina asked.

“He doesn’t seem like the type,” Amber said.

Kira shrugged. “Neither do you,” she replied, and Amber smiled a little at that, so Kira supposed it must have been a positive thing. “And yeah, all the time. He used to wake up shouting gibberish and punching the air.” She sighed as the memories of running into his room nearly every night to shake him awake came back to her. “Only stopped getting them a few months ago, lucky for the both of us.” She paused, fighting back a yawn. “Don’t mention it to Eddie, though. He gets all embarrassed anytime someone brings it up.”

“We won’t,” Nina promised.

“I promise I don’t usually do this,” Amber assured her quickly.

“Yeah, this was just a one-time thing,” Nina added. “Hopefully…”

“No worries,” Kira said, yawning again as she laid back down. “I hope you feel better, Amber. If you need anything, I’m here.”

  
  
“Thank you,” came the reply, and as Kira drifted off to sleep again, she could hear the two of them go back to their whispering.

Whatever it was, it really wasn’t her business.


	5. Wonky Donkey Diner Day & The Perils of a Carrot Smoothie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s the way the Donkey Day plotline spans like 8 episodes for me LOL  
> Like why did it take so long for that arc to conclude its so funny to me. Anyway, as I continue to rewatch Season 2, the more inspo I have for this. I am almost done with the next chapter of House of Mistakes so have no fear the other AU is coming along.  
> For now, though, just enjoy Donkey Day

Donkey Day was already kicking into high gear by the second period slot. Jerome—well, _Mara_ , really—had cornered Nina and Kira at breakfast and roped them into collecting donations from staff members and any other students who hadn’t signed up.

Kira shrugged and took the donkey ears with as much dignity she could muster. Her event wasn’t until the afternoon anyway.

The two Americans ducked into the Frobisher Library, gasping simultaneously at the decor. Of course, Kira hadn’t seen it before it was refurbished, but from what Nina had told her on the walk over it was pretty run-down.

Now, though, glass cases lined the walls with beautiful busts and artifacts displayed all over; it looked like a museum.

“Wow,” Nina exclaimed, and the two adults turned toward the door with broad smiles on their faces. “It looks amazing!”

“Yeah,” Kira chimed in. “Looks like an exhibit straight out of The Met.”’

Trudy cooed in appreciation. “Thank you, girls,” she said, and Kira could easily understand how this woman used to be a good housemother.

“What can we do for you?” Jasper asked.

“We came by to see if either of you wanted to donate to Donkey Day,” Nina said, raising up her bucket.

Kira held hers up too, the coins rattling around inside. “It’s for a good cause.”

“Of course we would!” Trudy said and tugged lightly on Jasper’s sleeve. “Come on, Jasper, make a donkey happy!”

Jasper chuckled and dug around in his pocket for some spare change; Kira offered up her bucket, while something caught Nina’s eye.

“Is this it?” she asked, circling around one of the display cases. “The replica of the Mask of Anubis?”

Jasper dropped a few coins in as he answered, “Yes.”

“It’s beautiful,” Nina breathed.

Kira turned around to get a closer look at the object in question, and, frankly, wasn’t all that taken with it. There were certainly other items on display that were far more interesting than that, especially considering it was just a replica. “Yeah,” she agreed nonetheless, “it’s neat.”

“Imagine what the original must look like,” Jasper said, walking around to the otherwise of the case.

_Um, probably just like that,_ Kira thought, but, of course, didn’t voice her rude remark.

Nina tilted her head, one of the donkey ears flopping to the side. “Except the original doesn’t even exist according to you.”

Jasper gave a small shrug. “Yes, well, we shall probably never know,” he said. Jasper’s phone beeped in his pocket, and when he looked at the screen his expression dropped.

Kira noticed it, but Nina didn’t as she continued to prattle on. “Did you ever get in touch with that internet colleague you told me about?” she asked. “The Collector?”

“No,” Jasper snapped, then flinched at his own tone. “Sorry. Um, dead end. Now, if you’ll excuse me—“ he rushed forward, and, in his haste, spilled at least three-quarters of his coffee down Nina’s front.

Trudy and Kira gasped, and Jasper was so frazzled he simply fled the room, leaving the three stunned women watching after him.

“Why is he in such a hurry?” Trudy exclaimed.

Kira dug around in her blazer pocket for a tissue and handed it over to Nina who dabbed fruitlessly at her drenched button-up. “What’s his problem?” she muttered to Nina, raising an eyebrow in the direction Jasper had zoomed off in.

Nina made a face and crumpled up the soaked tissue into a ball. “I dunno,” she said, “but I think I need to go change.”

“I’ll say,” Kira replied, pointedly not looking at Nina’s now sheer top. “I would use my blazer as a cover if I were you.”

Nina swore and pinched the blazer across her chest. “Do you mind taking the buckets back to the school while I clean myself up?”

“Sure, yeah,” she replied, hooking Nina’s donation bucket onto her arm. “No worries.”

“Thanks,” Nina mumbled, making her way out the door.

Kira shot a weird glance in Trudy’s direction before taking her leave as well. Donkey Day couldn’t get that much weirder, she supposed.

* * *

Back at the school, she caught sight of Eddie and Patricia by the piñata and prize table that Joy was manning and started over in that direction, self-consciously adjusting her donkey ears as she went.

It was only once she’d gotten half-way across the room that she saw who else was approaching the table: Mr. Sweet. Eric. Her _father._

Eddie caught her eye and subtly shook his head, but Joy had already caught sight of her and waved her over. After Kira agonizingly let Joy rant to her about the massive crush on Fabian she had, Joy had decided they were now good friends. This was both great news and terrible news because while Kira was delighted to be spending time with her crush of two days, it wasn’t grand that said crush was ass-over-tits for someone else.

Right now, though, it leaned more into terrible news. Kira _was_ here to reconnect with her father, but it was one thing to interact in the privacy of the headmaster’s office or even in the house he lived in on-campus; it was entirely another to have stiff and awkward encounters during the day.

Mr. Sweet caught sight of her as she made her way over and smiled at her. Kira nodded back tentatively, aware of Eddie’s hard gaze boring into the side of her head as she went to stand a few paces from him and his Wonky Donkey partner.

“Step right up, step right up!” Joy was calling, every bit the carnival barker. “Pay your money and take a crack at the jack! Kira! Mr. Sweet! Gonna have a go?”

The headmaster shook his head. “Oh, no, no, no,” he said but fished around in his pocket for a donation anyway. “I wanted to speak with you about the opening of the exhibition. Gustav Ziestack would like to turn it into a bit of an event.” This clearly piqued her interest, for Joy immediately perked up. “What do you think about a masked ball?”

“Ooo, nice!” Joy said, turning to the three others at the table with her and waggling an eyebrow.

“A masked ball? Count me in,” Patricia exclaimed and looked over at Eddie with a smug grin. “A whole night I don’t have to look at your face.”

Kira hid a snort behind her hand as Eddie laughed sarcastically in her face.

Mr. Sweet didn’t seem to know what to make of his secret son being insulted right in front of his face and awkwardly cleared his throat. “Yes, well, um,” he fumbled. “It is short notice, but you did such a wonderful job of organizing the bid, Joy, I wondered if you’d like to take this on as well?”

Joy blinked twice before her face broke out into an excited, sunny grin that made Kira’s insides go all warm. “I’d love to!” Joy accepted with a little squeal.

“Oh! Splendid! Splendid!” Mr. Sweet cheered, doing a little dance that was immensely lame before attempting to high-five Joy.

“Oh, um okay! Woo!” Joy high-fived him back and he scurried off without so much as another glance in his children’s direction. Kira didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed, but judging by the way Eddie’s muscles loosened, he was far more relieved. “I know just the person to help me…” Joy continued, mostly to herself, and Kira followed her line of sight directly to Fabian.

“Terrific,” Kira said, then blanched once she realized she’d said that out loud.

“What is?” Patricia asked.

“Um, nothing. Just talking to myself, you know how it is,” she said quickly, ignoring her brother’s weird look. “Are you two going to try for the piñata?”

Eddie shrugged. “I guess so,” he said and cocked his head toward his partner in an obnoxious but decidedly flirtatious movement. “What say you, Yacker?”

Patricia scowled at the nickname. “Why not? Already paid my money, might as well get a sweet out of it.”

She thought back to Joy’s observation from yesterday and tried not to laugh at the pseudo-pun Patricia had just made. Eddie caught her snickering and glared at her, which only served to make her laugh harder.

“What?” Patricia asked. “What’s so funny?”

Before either of the twins could come up with a quick cover, there was a high-pitched shrieking from down the hall and Amber came flying past. “Look out!” she yelled as she booked it around the corner. “I’m going to burst!”

This was enough of a distraction to send the whole table into laughter, and the innocuous innuendo was forgotten. Eddie snatched up the two blindfolds Joy passed them and Patricia begrudgingly allowed him to tie it over her eyes after he made some stupid comment about being a gentleman that she’d debunked with a grumble.

Once they were sufficiently blindfolded, they fumbled around with the bat for a moment, leaving Kira to duck behind the table with Joy to remain out of reach from the weapon, before they began to hack mercilessly at the donkey piñata. Before long, it cracked open, candy spilling onto the floor in a waterfall of color.

A few of the younger students who’d been circling like vultures dived onto the floor, scooping the treats up like animals before the winners could even remove their blindfolds.

“Aw yeah!” Eddie crowed, and though Patricia tried to mask her amused grin with a deadpanned look in his, it was pretty transparent. They both dived down to fight off the scavengers, leaving Kira and Joy to watch on.

“They make quite the pair,” Joy commented, wincing when Patricia shoved a younger student onto his side to get at one of the lollipops as Eddie egged her on.

“You know what,” Kira replied, watching her brother’s face light up with delight, “I think you might be right.”

“New girl!” Jerome barked, appearing from the crowd. “Your event’s been moved up.”

  
  
“What? Why?”

Jerome grimaced. “Someone got a little too rowdy at _Pin the Tail On The Donkey_ ; he’s going to have to get stitches,” he explained, and Kira and Joy grimaced. “Yeah, it’s that bad. Now, come on.”

Joy nudged her lightly in the ribs. “Go on,” she encouraged. “Hope you’re well-read.”

“I’ll try not to make an _ass_ of myself,” she quipped, reveling in the adorable giggle she'd managed to get out of Joy, before following Jerome away from the prize table.

“Good luck this afternoon, Jerry!” Eddie crowed from the floor as they walked away.

Jerome’s face twisted into a scowl, and Kira took pity on him. “Listen, Eddie’s just being a dick,” she said. “Besides, I don’t think eating three gallons of carrots is dangerous, just irresponsible.” She thought for a moment. “You also might turn orange.”

Jerome stopped walking abruptly. “I’m sorry, run that by me again?”

“You’ve never heard that?” she asked. Jerome shook his head, eyes wide with horror. “Yeah, if you eat too many carrots, your skin can get an orange tint.”

“You’re telling me that if I do this _‘Donkey Diner’_ thing your brother put together, I’m going to look like that guy from _The Apprentice_?”

She blinked. “Donald Trump?”

Jerome dragged a hand down his face. “Why is it that you Americans have to be total pains?”

  
  
Kira snorted and started to walk again. “I don’t know. Why do _you_ watch _The Apprentice?”_

* * *

After the events of the day were beginning to conclude, Jerome hopped up on the stage and began to hand out the prizes. Kira and her teammate from Isis House gave each other a high five and agreed to split the box of chocolates in half.

Between her teammate’s single-minded determinism and Kira’s extensive knowledge of obscure books, they’d crushed the competition and parted with the promise of hanging out sometime. It really was nice to be making friends, especially if she was planning on staying a while.

“And the winners of the Wonky Donkey are,” Jerome paused for dramatic effect, but everyone knew who the winners were, “Eddie and Patricia, with six hours and thirty minutes!”

They both pumped the air with enthusiasm, and Kira whistled as she clapped for them. How they’d managed to not kill each other the whole day was worth more than a box of chocolates, in her opinion.

Still, there was still time for a double homicide, as Eddie hopped up onto the stage to accept the prize. “I’d also like to thank the Academy,” he said, hamming it up as he always did.

He stepped down and made to breeze right by Patricia with the chocolates, and she pickled immediately. “Um, excuse me,” she snapped, and Kira immediately hurried her face in her hands. “That’s one award we can _share._ ”

“Yeah, but I pulled most of the weight,” he drawled. “Especially yours.”

Of course. Of _course_ , he was going to go there. Why was she even surprised?

Patricia swung back just as hard. “Yeah? Well, you need to think about using a stronger deodorant, ‘cause there’s no easy way to say this: you stink.”

Eddie’s expression dropped and Kira wanted to cheer her on, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

“Well, if you get up in my face again, at least take a mint,” he spat, before whirling around and storming out, nearly bowling over Nina who’d just come running over to Fabian with a grave expression on her face.

While they were muttering nervously together, Kira leaned over to Patricia. “I’m sorry about him,” she said, flinching back slightly when her frustrated eyes cut to hers. “He’s a dick. Just keep throwing back everything he gives you; might knock him down a few pegs.”

“What’s his problem anyway?” Patrica snorted derisively. “It’s like he was raised in a barn. Eh, no offense.”

She shook her head. “None taken. I’m not going to make excuses for him, but...he’s having a rough time right now, I think. Still, don’t let him walk all over you.”

  
Patricia nodded just once. “Trust me, I wasn’t planning on it.”

She was about to say something more when Joy’s voice cut across the room. “Fabian! Fabian, a word?” Kira watched as she scurried in between Nina and Fabian, the former looking nothing short of pissed off. “Good news! Mr. Sweet has asked you and me to arrange the grand opening ball!”

Kira pursed her lips as Fabian answered nervously, “That’s great! That’s, um, great!”

  
  
Patricia followed her line of sight and gritted her teeth as they watched the scene go down. _“Oh, Jesus,”_ she muttered, screwing her eyes shut. “Why does everything have to be so complicated all the time?”

“I’ll tell you what,” Nina was saying, “you two can go discuss _whatever_ it is you need to discuss, while I go find my lost purse. Okay?” Then, she breezed away.

So there was some tension between her roommate and her crush? Brilliant. Just brilliant.

Fabian and Joy were still talking, but their voices had dropped too low to hear over the noise of the busy student lounge. Whatever they were talking about left both Fabian and Joy with a pained look on their faces, and as they walked off together, Kira couldn’t help but think that’d she’d gotten herself into a very fine mess indeed.

* * *

The both dreaded and anticipated hour had arrived. A crowd gathered at the foot of the stage to watch Jerome stuff his face with vegetable mush. Mara, Patricia, and Amber had volunteered to help out and Alfie stood by Jerome, giving him a pep talk.

Eddie stood front and center in the crowd, looking entirely too proud of himself; Kira shoved her way through.

“You’re not seriously going to make him do this, are you?” she asked. “It’s disgusting.”

“Which is why I’m making him do it,” Eddie replied. “Besides, he’s literally getting paid.”

“Still…”  
  
“Listen,” Eddie huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in a move Kira knew to be defensive, “if I’m going to be stuck in this stupid country, surrounded by annoying British people, I should at least be allowed to mess with them.”

“I think I should remind you,” Kira replied, lowering her voice, “that you are technically also an annoying British person.”

He scowled at her. “Shut up, I’m _nothing_ like these people.”

  
  
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “They aren’t all dicks like you.”

“Quit calling me that,” he hissed under his breath. “Just enjoy the show and stop bothering me, will you?”

“Whatever,” she said cooly. “You’d better give him that money, though.”

  
  
“I will…if he earns it.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t bother commenting; the event was about to begin.

Patricia plopped the first bucket down in front of Jerome, and Kira swore she saw his face turn a little green. Mara patted his shoulder comfortingly and rang the bell that signified the start of the round, as Amber passed in front of them, holding up a large cardboard cutout of a carrot with **_ROUND 1_ **printed on it.

“Eddie, this is ridiculous,” Kira said again, but he was already filming, along with most of the other students in the crowd.

“I know,” he replied, snapping a few pictures. “I didn’t ask them to make it into this big a thing, but it’s great that they did.”

Jerome locked eyes with Eddie and spooned in a large mouthful; the crowd grimaced even as they cheered him on. It truly was disgusting.

The rounds kept going on and on, and it was only a sort of morbid curiosity that kept Kira watching. As obnoxious as her brother was being, he was at least a little right in saying it was entertaining. It was a miracle Jerome hadn’t keeled over yet, and he dug into the last bucket, she found herself cheering him on more for the sake of putting him out of his misery.

He stopped at one point, retching, and even Mara who’d been on his case all day looked guilty. “You have my permission to give up now, Jerome,” she said.

Alfie ran around to the front, past a concerned Patricia and Amber. “Oh, let me throw in the towel and end this now!” he blubbered, and a ripple of laughs spread through the crowd.

Jerome gritted his teeth. “Don’t you dare,” he ground out, and as Alfie quite literally went to throw in the towel, Jerome caught his wrist. “No! Don’t!”

Eddie cleared his throat, catching those on the stage’s attention. “Ain’t no gong till it’s all gone,” he said with a large smile, but Kira could tell he was feeling kind of bad. Still, a bet was a bet, and Eddie was nothing if not an entertainer.

Jerome curled his lip in defiance, scooping up one final spoonful and stuffing it into his mouth. After a moment, his retching returned, a crescendo of unspeakable noises coming out of his mouth, and the crowd screamed as he lurched forward. When they turned back, though, there was no vomit, only an exhausted, laughing Jerome holding the final empty bucket.

The room erupted into cheers, and Eddie reached into his pocket for the $100 he’d promised. “Well, that was…really dumb,” Eddie said, and Kira watched Patricia fix him with an unimpressed look. “But you did it. Good job, Carrot Boy.” He extended his hand for a handshake that Jerome accepted graciously, before offering up the money. “This is for you.” Jerome reached for the money, but Eddie suddenly pulled it away. “Double or nothing?” he offered cheekily, and Jerome practically threw himself across the table to snatch the bills out of Eddie’s hand.

* * *

The job of cleanup fell to the Anubis students, and with Jerome being nursed back to health by Mara and Alfie, and the others nowhere in sight, it was Patricia, Amber, Kira, and Eddie who were left to put things back in order.

Well, really just the girls were doing anything, as Eddie rewatched the footage of the Donkey Diner on his phone, laughing out loud.

Patricia was the first to snap. “I hope the sight of us working isn’t disturbing your little rest,” she said.

Eddie looked back at her and rolled his eyes. “You’re a couple of strong, twenty-first-century women,” he said. “What do you need my help for?”

As if on cue, Amber frowned down at her hand. “I broke a nail,” she complained, and Kira walked over to examine it.

“Go sisterhood!” Eddie cheered sarcastically, and the two girls glared at him.

_“Eddie,”_ Kira warned. “Don’t make me a snitch.”

  
  
“Fine!” Eddie said, caving immediately. “Fine!” He got to his feet and grabbed a bucket, making a face in the two roommates’ direction. As he brought it over to the cleaning table, he brushed by Patricia, leaving a large smear of orange junk on the sleeve of her uniform shirt.

She looked down at it in disgust. “Nice move, doofus!” she spat, reaching into one of the buckets to scoop out a large handful of creamed carrot.

One didn’t have to be a genius to see where this was going. Eddie turned around and was immediately met with a carrot assault. “Mine was an accident!” he exclaimed.

Patricia smiled glibly. “So was that.”

Amber grabbed Kira’s wrist and dragged her down off the stage. “Wait!” she said. “Wait…” The two scurried down into the middle of the lounge, and all Kira could think about was just how much trouble they were about to be in if they didn’t get out of there before a teacher found them. “I’m clear!” Amber shouted, and it was as though the gun had gone off at a race for how fast the two of them began slinging carrot goop at each other.

Never in her life had Kira seen anything like it, and she doubted she ever would again. She and Amber ran through the halls, laughing hysterically as the screams from the carrot fight faded behind them.

* * *

Patricia and Eddie didn’t return until about hours later, and Mara and Kira were sitting together in the living room. The two of them looked an absolute mess and Mara gasped. “Oh my god,” she said. “What happened?”

  
  
“Yacker, here, got a little trigger happy with the creamed carrot,” Eddie replied, which earned him an elbow in the ribs.

“You started it,” Patricia said.

“Well, what’s the prognosis?” Kira asked.

Patricia wiped a carrot-saturated piece of hair out of her face. “Sweetie said _Slimeball_ and I have to help Joy and Fabian organize the ball,” she said, and Eddie rolled his eyes at the nickname.

“Really?” Kira asked with a raised eyebrow. “That sounds kind of…light.”

Patricia nodded. “It is. I swear I’ve gotten in way more trouble for way less.”

  
Kira looked quickly over at her brother who was frowning at the floor. “Well, maybe he thought it was harmless enough that it didn’t warrant more.”

Patricia shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I’m going to go take a shower.” She turned and flashed Eddie a fake smile. “Bye, carrot-top!”

“You’re the red-head!” he called after her, then sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.

Mara got up and looked down the boy’s hallway with a little smile. “I’m going to go collect the donkey money from Jerome,” she informed them before she made her way out the door. “Be back in a minute.”

Eddie stood there for a second before finally meeting Kira’s eye. “The coward can’t even punish me like he should,” he muttered.

“He’s going easy on you because you’re his son, and he doesn’t want to make an enemy out of you right from the start,” she replied gently.

Eddie’s fist clenched. “He made an enemy of me when he walked out the door,” he snapped, and Kira recognized a similar hurt in his voice that she’d felt a million times before in the moments where she’d needed a father and he hadn’t been there. _“Whatever,_ it doesn’t matter. At least Yacker didn’t catch too much heat for it.”

“She doesn’t know how lucky she was,” Kira agreed quietly and Eddie sniffed before turning to go. “Eddie, wait.” He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “Please don’t use this as an opportunity to test his limits. I don’t want to have to see you get in trouble like you have.”

Eddie’s jaw set, a piece of carrot dripping off his chin onto the floor. “Just worry about yourself, Kira,” he said finally. “Okay?”

Without waiting for an answer he walked down the boy’s corridor, and his squelching footsteps seemed to Kira like the only sound in the whole house.


	6. Fresh Food & Fresh Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter one, but now we get to move deeper into my favorite subplot of the entirety of season 2: the masked ball!!!  
> The irony of having a masked ball while they search for a mask? Sublime. The Peddie scenes? Exquisite. Jerome giving Nina, Joy, and Mrs. Andrews the same dress? Brilliant.  
> Can't wait to delve into all of that in the upcoming installments.

With only a few days until the ball, more than just Fabian, Eddie, and Patricia were sucked into the planning of the event by Joy. In fact, all of Anubis House and even students from other houses were expected to put in the hours to make the opening of the exhibit a success.

Unfortunately, it already seemed like it was going to be a bit of a train wreck. At one point, Amber nearly crushed her foot with a faulty folding table, and Fabian blew a fuse when the microphone malfunctioned.

Kira nearly fell off the ladder when one of the lightbulbs by her head sparked, only managing to hold on when Patricia and Mara steadied her. Eddie just laughed from his place on the couch like a jackass.

Defeated, they’d closed up shop for the day, trudging back to Anubis House with their tails between their legs. All except Joy, of course; her singleminded determination to make this ball go off without a hitch was admirable, to say the least, and Kira would be lying if she said it wasn’t attractive.

Despite the day being a failure, they’d still worked their asses off, and Vera came through for them with a nice home-cooked meal.

Kira continued to be impressed by the love the food seemed to be given in Anubis House. Back home, dinner usually consisted of microwave meals or cold subs from the deli, and the few nights their mother had off were usually her getting a well-deserved nap while Eddie and Kira fended for themselves. Kraft mac ’n’ cheese was a staple in the Miller household.

Now, though, Totino’s and leftover Chinese food were traded for warm bread rolls, juicy chicken, freshly tossed salad, and all sorts of things she and Eddie never really got to have at home. There were even actual salt and pepper shakers, not just the paper packets that came in the takeout bag.

She beamed at Vera, who smiled back as if she knew exactly what she was thinking. It was nice to be in a house that wasn’t always empty.

Amber limped into the room, propped up between Nina and Fabian like a wounded soldier being assisted off the battlefield. The three of them were muttering something about hopscotch, and Kira was once again reminded of Mara’s comment about those three being in “their own little world”. In the few days she’d been at the school, it certainly seemed that way.

That didn’t seem to deter Joy, though, much to Kira’s dismay. That very same single-minded determination that Kira was starting to like so much was also becoming her worst nightmare— Nina’s too, by the looks of it.

“So you know we’ve got this big exam coming up for geology—“

“Geography,” Nina cut in, her mouth twisting in poorly concealed irritation.

Joy waved her hand dismissively. “Eh, _tomayto, tomahto,”_ she said, before turning back to Fabian and leaving Nina to look awkwardly down at her plate. “We can talk about the ball at the same time.”

Fabian looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Yeah,” he said, “uh, sure. _Wha—_ Right now?”

Joy gasped and smiled ear to ear. “Great idea!” she exclaimed, and Nina’s jaw actually dropped open as Fabian spluttered. “Sit next to me and then we can talk about the playlist.”

He looked so uncomfortable, and Kira couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just turn Joy down gently and give other people a shot. It was a little selfish to think that, of course, but really Fabian was just leading her on. She hadn’t even been at school a week and could already see that.

Kira sighed and dug into the food that suddenly didn’t seem nearly as appetizing as before, barely registering her brother’s entrance. She did, however, notice when Nina nearly jumped him.

“You can sit here if you’d like!” her roommate chirped stiffly and the chatter in the room came screeching to a halt.

Eddie blinked at her for a split second, disoriented by the sudden come on, but with a nearly imperceptible glance down the table toward a certain brunette, he quickly changed his tune and plastered on a smirk. Kira valiantly kept her eyes from rolling out of their sockets. It was almost funny the way the two of them were using each other to play the same game.

“I like,” he replied suavely and dropped into the chair on Nina’s left. She giggled, but it came out slightly strained. “Winning you over, am I?”

“You know he eats with his mouth open,” Patricia called from the far side of the table.

“Yeah,” Fabian chimed in, detestation clear in his tone, “and he burps.”

Well, the game had clearly worked and now the targets were appropriately jealous. She almost wanted to give them both a little golf clap. Instead, Kira did what all good sisters were supposed to do: pile it on. “Not to mention the ungodly amount of times he rips ass in public,” she added, relishing in the look on his face.

Everyone else at the table shared bemused glances, no doubt wondering why everyone was suddenly coming for Eddie’s neck, but even if Kira wasn’t wise to Eddie’s bag of tricks and, in this case, Nina’s, it still would have been kind of funny.

“Sometimes there’s so much love in this house, I feel like I’m gonna burst,” Eddie said, sarcasm dripping from every word. Still, he took it in stride and turned back to Nina, continuing to fulfill his end of the unspoken contract they’d made on the fly.

Kira shook her head and popped a piece of bread in her mouth. Some things just never really changed.

* * *

The next morning was a Saturday, and yet even then it seemed everyone in the house got up at an ungodly hour.

“It’s 10:30,” Mara pointed out while they brushed their teeth.

Kira spat out her toothpaste. “As I said,” she chuckled, “ungodly.”

It seemed the place to be was the living room, and just about everyone sat around doing homework, surfing the web, or just chatting.

Kira, Alfie, and Mara were discussing the upcoming geography exam that Kira was certain she was going to fail when Jerome broke the peace suddenly as he shuffled into the room. He was holding a pair of massive boxes under each arm. “Gather ‘round, gather ‘round, everyone!” he announced, and everyone looked up at him curiously. “I have for your selection the finest array of masks for the up and coming ball.” He paused, then added, “All of them reasonable prices. There’s not a single mask here that wouldn’t make your face look more intriguing, mysterious, and charming.”  
  
Alfie rummaged around in one of the boxes for a moment before he pulled out a monster mask. “This one’s mine!” he exclaimed, beaming with delight.

Jerome wrinkled his nose. “Except that one,” he deadpanned.

Amber’s eyes raked over it with distaste. “Alfie, you can’t wear that mask,” she said, and Eddie, who was sitting beside them, started to snicker. “My dress isn’t green, and you’re not eight.”

“Whipped,” Eddie coughed into his hand, and Alfie punched him on the shoulder.

Nina and Mara both returned to their seats with a gorgeous feathered mask and a cat mask respectively. They looked nice on the both of them, and Kira and Joy both fawned over how adorable the cat mask was in particular.

“But I don’t have anything to wear it with,” Nina was saying to Fabian.

“Hello, Nina,” Jerome said, migrating over to them. “I couldn’t help overhearing. Now, I’m not only the purveyor of fine masks but of fine dresses to go with them. Reasonable prices.”

Fabian scoffed. “A dress you choose, Jerome?” He asked, barely holding back laughter as Nina giggled. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh, they are pretty,” Mara cut in. “I’ve seen the one he sold Joy.”

“It’s true, I look amazing,” said Joy and Kira smiled a little.

It _was_ true. Kira had seen her try it on the night before when she’d been practically exiled from her room by Amber, Fabian, and Nina. She could take a hint and was more than happy to hang out with the other three girls in the house.

Nina still didn’t look convinced, but as Kira and Mara got up to go, she lowered her voice and explained, “He’s working really hard to pay off a debt.”

Nina’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape and nodded. “Gotcha,” she replied.

“Hey, what are you going to wear?” Mara asked Kira as they made their way up the stairs. “I didn’t see you picking out a mask.”

“Oh, um, my relative got me something,” Kira said awkwardly. How was she meant to disclose that her father had pulled her aside the day before at lunch and gave her a dress and mask seemingly out of the blue?

_“I don’t know exactly what your ‘style’ is, but I got your measurements from your mother, and well…” Eric had trailed off, hands wringing nervously._

_The dress was a deep green, with ruffles and gold trim; the mask was equally green and gold with elegant swirls. It was the first real gift she’d ever gotten from her father besides money in a card, and tears had sprung to her eyes._

_Eric had blanched at the sight. “If you don’t like it or have something else you wanted to wear, that’s fine, but—“_

_  
  
_“No,” _she’d said, fighting down a lump in her throat. “No, it’s lovely.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you…_ Dad.”

 __  
  
Eric’s face had melted into a relieved and emotional expression. “I’m glad,” he replied. “I would have gotten Eddison a suit, but…” The silence spoke loud enough.

_“But he wouldn’t have accepted it,” Kira’d finished, and Eric had sighed. “He- He's just not ready yet._ Yet _. But he’s getting there—_ I’m _getting there. It just takes time.”_

“I can show you, if you’d like,“ Kira offered, clearing her throat to dispel any emotion from the fresh memory.

Mara waggled an eyebrow. “Ooo, yes, I’d like,” she said, and the two of them continued on up the stairs.


	7. The Great Housemother Bake-Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyyyeeeee  
> Next up is the masked ball so get excited!  
> For now, enjoy a sibling heart to heart, and some other fun shenanigans.

It was game day, the night of the masked ball, and there was a sense of excitement that seemed to permeate the house. They might have all been a little overworked getting it set up, but it would no doubt be a fun night.

Nina and Amber were already downstairs when Kira made it to breakfast that morning. She was really going to have to get better about waking up early enough to give herself time to actually eat breakfast instead of sitting for a minute, grabbing a piece of fruit, and booking it out the door.

Her roommates and Fabian were huddled together muttering in the kitchen, and Mara just shrugged at her as if to say _‘What can you do?’_

It was a miracle she found time to shovel a bowl of cereal into her mouth before everyone began filing out. Mara was kind enough to wait for her and together they gathered up their school supplies and started out the door.

“Do you think we’ll be put to work again today?” Kira asked fondly, jerking her head toward Joy who was dragging a reluctant Patricia and Eddie by their arms toward the school.

Mara chuckled and hiked up her backpack a little more. “I don’t know,” she joked, linking their arms together. “Is the square root of Pi 1.77245?”

Kira made a face. “I have no idea,” she said, trying to do the math in her head and failing miserably. “Is it?”

Mara rolled her eyes and nudged her. “You know what I mean,” she laughed. “Now, come on, we’re going to be late for first block!”

* * *

Sure enough, after a long day of classes, Joy rounded her housemates up into the space where the ball was to be held like a sheepdog might herd her flock.

She’d found Kira in the girls bathroom and quite literally pounced on her, dragging the flustered mess of an American through the halls as she chattered away about things that had absolutely nothing to do with her, but were endearing nonetheless.

Now, though, with the room abuzz with activity and Joy barking out orders like the queen of the hive, even the admittedly enamored Kira wasn’t thrilled to be one of the worker bees. Joy could certainly plan a party, but she really didn’t pull her punches—even Trudy wasn’t safe from a scolding!

Kira was arranging cups with a girl named Samantha from Mut House at a nearby table when Patricia and Eddie clomped by holding a chair; Joy wasted no time in giving them a new set of tasks.

“Alright, I need someone tall to hang stuff up,” she said, and Patricia shot Eddiea look, “and someone who’s a girl to make sure it doesn’t look terrible.”

Patricia grinned and tossed Eddie a bag of balloons. “You should be on balloon duty,” she said sweetly, “might keep your mouth shut.”

Kira laughed out loud as her brother made a face at Patricia’s retreating form, and he looked at her with a _‘Can you believe this?’_ expression on his face. Kira just shrugged, still laughing.

Joy approached the table she was at and clapped a few times. “Library! Now, please,” she announced, and Kira nodded, handing trays of cups to Alfie and Trudy as they passed by. “Come on, guys, we haven’t got much time! Everything looks great, thank you.” She started off before suddenly whirling around and patting Kira’s cheek affectionately; Kira must have turned as red as a fire engine. “And thank _you_ for keeping this lot on task,” Joy whispered, gesturing subtly toward where Samantha and some of the other girls had already gone back to their phones. “You’re a godsend. Now, I’ve got to go! Dance lights are flashing, apparently; looks like a crime scene. Where is _Fabian?”_

Before Kira could say a word, Joy had scurried out the door, leaving her flushed and embarrassed.

From across the room Eddie raised an eyebrow and scoffed at her. Kira glared back and jerked her head at where Patricia was tying off some of the balloons. The smirk dropped off his face and he looked away pointedly.

_Yeah,_ she thought, discreetly reaching up to touch her cheek. _That’s what I thought._

* * *

“You know, knocking your crush off a ladder and then dropping heron the floor isn’t exactly peak romance,” Kira said about an hour later as she and Eddie started back to the house to get ready.

Nina, Fabian, and Amber had disappeared again, which left only a handful of students left to finish up decorating. Luckily, with the exception of the broken smoke machine that Fabian had been forced to abandon, they’d pretty much sped through the final touches. Once the lights when down and the band arrived, it would be a pretty solid venue for a party.

“She’s _not_ my crush,” Eddie retorted, “and besides, she asked me to put her down.”

Kira rolled her eyes and shoved him. “You’re such a dick,” she said, yelping when he shoved her back. “I’m just saying! Listen, crush or not, you really should be nicer to her.”  
  


“Nice? To Patricia? _Pssh,”_ Eddie scoffed. “She’s not exactly making _me_ any friendship bracelets. Why should I?”

“Because you make a good team?” Kira offered. Eddie scoffed again. “No, I’m serious. She’s super chill and if you guys stopped fighting, I think you’d actually be good friends. I mean, have you even tried making any friends here?”

She swore she could see the dusting of a blush on his cheeks. “Whatever,” he muttered, embarrassed.

Kira stopped walking. “Eddie,” she said. “Listen, whether you like it or not, we’re here now. It’s time to start…I dunno, putting down some roots?”

“‘Roots’?” Eddie repeated incredulously. “We’re here for school, not trying to start a family.”

"Aren't we?" she fired back, and Eddie pursed his lips, breathing out sharply through his nose. Kira sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Look, can you at least think about it? Try and reach out to someone, whether that be Patricia, or Fabian, or Jerome— _anyone_ , dude. You need friends.”

  
  
“I _have_ friends,” Eddie replied, turning around and walking again, “back home in New Jersey.”

“Well, it never hurts to make some new ones,” Kira pointed out, jogging to catch up with him. “Please? For me?”

Eddie clenched his jaw, but finally nodded. “Fine, sure. Will you leave me alone now and get back to pining after Joy?”

“Wha- What, _no?_ No, I am not _pining,”_ Kira spluttered indignantly at him, but couldn’t stay too made when she noticed he’d cracked a small, genuine smile.

This was all hard for him— harder than it’d been for her, she knew. Her brother was always a little different, and while it sometimes made him a bit of a dick, it also made him lonely. All she wanted was to make her family happy, even if it took forever.

“Whatever,” she conceded, opening the front door. “Get changed, will you? We’ve got, like, ten minutes before this thing starts.”

“Whatever you say, mom,” Eddie grumbled, but made his way to his room nonetheless.

* * *

“I hereby declare this Treasures of Egypt exhibition officially open!” Gustav Ziestack announced, cutting the symbolic red ribbon that declared the party underway.

Kira leaned over Mara’s shoulder to get a better look at the pictures she’d taken, while everyone milled around below, enjoying hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

She watched a tender moment shared between Fabian and Nina and smiled softly. They were admittedly quite cute together, and though she’d only gotten bits and pieces of the story, she hoped they’d work it out.

Not for any selfish reasons, of course.

“Smile!” Mara said and turned the camera on Kira.

Startled, she laughed and struck an awkward pose that Mara captured with a flash. “Green looks good on you,” she complimented.

Kira gave her a little curtsey, the dress her father had gotten her swishing around her legs. “Why, thank you,” she said, putting on a faux-posh accent. “And you look _ravishing_ in purple.”

Mara giggled and gave her a twirl, though the only part of her outfit that swished was the camera strap. “Thank you,” she replied.

Over Mara’s shoulder, Kira caught sight of Eddie approaching Patricia, the two of them bantering back and forth, though this time it seemed a lot more tame. When he took her wrist and gave it a little massage, Kira shook her head and chuckled. “'Not a crush' indeed,” she said, and at Mara’s confused look, she pointed over at Eddie and Patricia. Perhaps Joy really had had a point about there being something there.

“Oh my god,” Mara breathed. “I never in my life thought I’d see that day Patricia let a man touch her.”

“Oh, Eddie’s not a man,” Kira assured her, and Mara cocked her head in confusion. “He’s a boy at best.”

“Ooo, bake-off!” Alfie shouted from the lower level of the Frobisher Library, and everyone began to flock down to watch it take place. Kira wasn’t exactly sure who she should be rooting for, but most of her housemates seemed to be on Team Trudy, probably because she’d been their housemother.

Trudy unveiled her cake to appreciative _ohs_ and _ahs,_ and smiled smugly in Vera’s direction. “May the best cake win,” she challenged.

Vera smiled tightly. “Well, yes, that _is_ how a bake-off works, right?” she parried, before lifting the lid off her own creation. Undeniably, Vera’s looked cleaner, and was met with steady claps.

Trudy’s smile faltered, and Kira watched Alfie give her a pep talk, before he bounced off to the side so the judging could commence. Gustav took a forkful of Trudy’s cake and chewed thoughtfully. “Mmm,” he hummed, nodding at Trudy with a pleased expression on his face. “Very good.”

A round of applause sounded, and Gustav migrated over to Vera’s table. With a flourish, she took a bite of her cake, and stopped short, his face going slack with ecstasy. “Oh,” he said, the glob of chocolate stuck to the corner of his mouth bobbing up and down as he spoke, “but this is something special. It’s like a fine chocolate wine.” He smiled at Vera, and flashed an apologetic look in Trudy’s direction. “I’m afraid I must declare this Chocolate Nightmare Cake the winner of the bake-off.”

As the room erupted into applause and Gustav offered Vera the gold medal they’d somehow procured in the past hour, Mara leaned in and whispered to Kira, “I can’t believe Trudy lost. No one’s cake is as good as hers.”

Kira shrugged. “Guess Vera’s is,” she replied, looking over at her friend. “By the way,” she continued, gesturing to Mara’s purse, “why are you carrying around a letter?”

“What?” Mara asked, eyes darting around, lingering on Jerome for a second too long for it to be a coincidence. “Oh, um, no reason. Just, something I need to give to someone.”

“Oh,” she said, eyeing the envelope one more time before putting it out of her mind. “Okay.”

After all, it wasn’t really her business.


	8. The Masked Ball (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise another chapter of House of Mistakes is coming but I had half of this already written lol. So here we go!

All their hard work had really paid off: the student lounge and surrounding rooms had been totally transformed into a beautiful ballroom, and everyone milled about with their masks on in a sea of dazzling anonymity.

“I think this is one for the books,” Mara announced, offering up her glass in a toast. Kira grinned and clinked them together.

“I have to agree,” she replied, eyes being drawn to Patricia as she walked by. “Hey, Patricia, nice work.”

Patricia stalled for a moment, seemingly surprised by the compliment, before flashing the two of them an awkward half-smile. “Oh, um, it’s all Joy, I’m just her puppet.”

“Nonsense!” Mara exclaimed. “You hung up half the decorations, and you got the band.”

Patricia shuffled under the praise, but Kira could tell she appreciated it. “Speaking of, I’d better go check on them before they start.” She rolled her eyes as she gestured toward the stage where the curtain was still drawn. “Trust me when I say classical music people are kind of divas.”

“You know many classical musicians?” Mara asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Patricia’s expression soured and she snorted, crossing her arms across her chest almost defensively. “You could say that,” she scoffed, giving them a parting wave before she slipped away toward the stage.

From behind her, Kira heard a snicker, looking back over her shoulder only to see her brother starting after Patricia.

“Hey, dickhead!” she called, and Mara covered her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. “Why do you look like you’re up to no good?”

Eddie only spared her a glance as he breezed by, his smirk stretching clean off his face. “When am I ever?” he replied.

Kira looked over at Mara and groaned audibly. “Can’t he take a night off?” she whined.

“You deserve a medal for putting up with him,” Mara agreed, and Kira chuckled, draining the pink lemonade in her cup.

She scanned the room with mild interest, watching trying to pick out any faces she knew in the crowd, but with all the masks it was hard to tell. Somewhere along the line her idle people watching turned into trying to locate a certain dress, and she even found herself rising up on tip-toe until Mara cleared her throat.

“Looking for someone in particular?” she asked, her bemused tone instantly causing red-hot embarrassment to bloom in Kira’s chest.

“No,” she lied, and was suddenly grateful for her mask that might cover at least some of her blush. “Just, uh, looking for the snack table.”

Mara raised an eyebrow and gestured right behind them where there was indeed a snack table all set up, and Kira wanted to pass away. “Uh-huh,” she teased with a hand on her hip. “You know, I think I saw her by the entrance earlier.”

  
  
Kira blanched, eyes bugging behind her mask. “Who?” she asked, playing dumb.

Mara saw right through her, though. “Joy,” she said pointedly.

“Oh my god,” Kira groaned. “Am I that obvious?”

Mara winced apologetically, which only made Kira groan louder. “Hey, it’s not that bad. Besides, I don’t think she’s noticed, if that helps. She’s a little too wrapped up in…” Mara trailed off, but the sentiment was clear.

“In Fabian, I know,” she sighed, fiddling with a loose golden thread on her dress. “You won’t tell her, right?” Kira asked quietly, looking down at her hands.

“Of course not!” Mara exclaimed.

“And you don’t think, I don’t know… less of me?”

Mara’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would I?” she asked, and Kira shrugged.

“I dunno,” she said awkwardly. “Because I… you know…”

A hand on her shoulder prompted Kira to meet Mara’s eye. “I promise that no one here is going to think less of you for fancying women,” she said, cautiously pulling Kira into a hug. “Whether you only fancy them or not, it doesn’t matter. You will always have a place here.”

  
  
Grateful tears sprang to her eyes, and Kira was about to express her appreciation when a cacophony of noise exploded from the stage, the shredding of electric guitars and the pounding of drums enough to give her war flashbacks to sharing a wall with Eddie.

Everyone leapt about a foot in the air, confused exclamations sounded from every corner of the room about the heavy metal rock band that had taken to the stage of a classy museum exhibition gala.

Victor practically sprinted backstage and cut the power, and just before the lights went out, Kira caught sight of her brother’s smug face by the edge of the platform.

_I’m going to kill him_ , was the only thought in her head before the room went black and the room _‘ooo’_ ed as groups of people often do when the lights go out.

Within a five second period, the lights came back on, and Kira saw Victor reemerge from the now closed curtain. His eyes swept the crowd till they landed on Patricia, who looked like she wouldn’t mind being shot point-blank in the stomach right about then rather than face Victor’s ire. Unfortunately for her, England had better gun control laws than America.

Victor pointed in her direction before beckoning her toward him with a low, furious, “You.”

Kira couldn’t see Eddie’s face all that well, but from what she could see, he looked pretty guilty.

Suddenly, Jerome was barreling past her and Mara to duck behind the snack table, hiding himself away just in time for Joy, Nina, and Fabian to enter.

Two things occurred to her in that moment: one was that Nina and Joy were wearing the exact same dress; the other was that Jerome was most certainly to blame.

“Hide me,” he pleaded, before his eyes locked on the letter that still stuck out of Mara’s purse. “What is that?” he asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Oh, um, a letter from Mick,” Mara lied, and Kira cocked her head slightly. That’s not what Mara had said earlier. “Hide you from whom?”

“Joy and Nina,” Jerome replied, still honed in on the letter. “He can’t email?”

Not knowing exactly why she was lying, but deciding to stand in solidarity with Mara, Kira shrugged. “He’s being romantic,” she said, trying to subtly catch Fabian’s eye to alert the mini mob to Jerome’s hideout. “Why are you hiding from them anyway, though I think I can guess?”

“Oh, I sold them identical dresses,” Jerome dismissed. “That letter has an English stamp on it.”

It ended up being Nina that noticed her signal, and they came rushing over as Mara struggled to find an answer.

“Jerome,” Joy gritted out, which gave mara enough time to shove the letter back in her bag while he was now distracted.

“You sold us the same dress,” Nina said, stating the obvious.

“Technically,” Jerome said, “not the same dress.”

“Jerome!” Fabian snapped, and Jerome raised his hands in defense.

“It’s not my fault!” he promised. “I _honestly_ thought that they were different, and by the way, aren’t we all ignoring a key point here?” Everyone raised an eyebrow. “That is, that you both look stunning. Don’t they both look stunning, Fabian?”

Both Nina and Joy turned to him expectantly, and Fabian suddenly looked as though he’d rather be anywhere but there. “I-I-I think everything’s stunning, yeah, everything,” he stuttered out, and Kira had to keep from rolling her eyes.

Mara placed a subtle, comforting hand on her wrist before interjecting, “Jerome, you have to give them their money back.”

Nina put out her hand expectantly, followed quickly by Joy, and Kira wondered if they both just expected Jerome to have cash on him.

Evidently, he did, though, as Jerome pulled out their money and reluctantly handed it back to them.

Joy snatched it back and wrinkled her nose at him. “You ruined my ball,” she said matter-o-factly, before storming off.

Jerome sighed. “Back to square one,” he muttered.

* * *

A little while later, Mara ran to use the bathroom, leaving Kira to meander by herself. Despite there being no music, it really was quite a nice party.

“Kira!” someone called from the stage, and she turned around to find Patricia hopping down and making her way toward her. “Please tell me your brother knows how to ’talk metal’.”

She blinked rapidly. “What?” she asked. “I don’t even know what that means.”

Patricia groaned. “How the hell am I going to fix this? He’s back there right now talking to them, but knowing him, he’ll probably justtake things worse.”

Kira pursed her lips. “Did you rat him out?” she asked, and Patricia scoffed.

“I don’t rat people out,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Then he’s really going to try,” Kira replied. “Listen, I know he’s a dick, but… he’s not going to let you suffer because of a mess _he_ made.”

Patricia bit her lip and nodded. “You’re sure?” she asked, and Kira nodded.

“I’m sure.”

  
  
On cue, the curtains reopened and the thrash metal band began to shred some sick classical tunes.

Kira looked over at Patricia’s face and was surprised by the expression on her face. It was almost soft; as Eddie swaggered down from the stage, Kira could see that though his mouth was quirked up in a smirk, his eyes held much the same sentiment.

Patricia schooled her features as he approached. Pointedly not meeting his sister’s eye, Eddie smiled at Patricia. “Inside every metalhead,” he said, “is a nice boy. See what I told you about not judging a book by its cover?”

Patricia fought a grin. “Is this your way of saying sorry?” she asked.

“As ways go… how’d I do?”

Patricia sucked in air through her teeth and looked at Kira conspiratorially. “Hmmm… awful,” she decided. Eddie rolled his eyes, but Patricia wasn’t done. “ _But_ apology accepted,” she finished, flashing him a small smile before disappearing into the crowd.

Eddie sighed and looked at his sister expectantly. “Well, let’s get this over with,” he said, waving his hand. “Come on, lay it on me. Call me a dick, I know. I deserve it.”

Kira just watched him for a moment, studying his expression. After a long moment, she spoke. “You really like her, don’t you?”

Eddie coughed, clearly not expecting that. “What? No, I already told you that.”

Kira laughed through her nose and shook her head. “Why are you embarrassed?” she asked. “It’s a good thing.”

Eddie scoffed. “Even if I did like her like that, which I don’t, by the way,” he said, crossing his arms, “after what happened last time, you really think you’re my go-to to talk about my feelings?”

Kira frowned, stung a little by that. “What happened with Ben was fucked up, I get it. Obviously, I lived it. But I don’t think Patricia’s anything like that. Eddie, you can talk to me about this stuff, you know. You used to tell me everything.”

He looked across the room for a moment, and Kira followed his gaze to where their father was talking with Mr. Ziestack. “Yeah, well, maybe I don’t want you reporting back to dear ol’ dad about me.”

_“What the fuck,”_ Kira said, mouth parted in shock.

“You heard me,” Eddie muttered. “You think I didn’t notice where the dress came from? Or that you’re having lunch with him on Wednesdays and Thursdays?”

“Oh, so you’re keeping tabs on me? What, do you have my schedule in a fucking google sheet?” she hissed, mindful that they were in public. “Just because I don’t want to be a bastard my whole life doesn’t mean I’m giving him a play-by-play of every second of our lives. What is wrong with you?” Eddie opened his mouth, but Kira cut him off. “You know what? No. You’re just deflecting, and I don’t have to take this. Go dance with Patricia or some other girl, I really don’t care. But just stay out of my way tonight, okay?”

Fighting back angry tears, she stormed off, leaving Eddie alone by the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #DaddyIssues


End file.
